Install debug-live on activation in fresh remote hosts

docs/architecture/agentConfigurationManager.md

@@ -102,6 +102,12 @@ Code extension and standalone CLI use this installer. The npm package includes
 the complete skill tree, and `debugmcp configure` installs it while registering
 the selected agents.
 
+The extension's activation migration refreshes the skill unconditionally, before
+looking for agent configuration files. Fresh Dev Container/Remote extension hosts
+therefore install into their own home even without desktop MCP configuration or
+onboarding. Missing bundles and copy failures are reported in the DebugMCP log.
+Skill delivery does not depend on resolving desktop Copilot configuration paths.
+
 This fixes issue #105: earlier builds copied the skill next to each agent's config (e.g. `Code/User/skills/` for VS Code Copilot), a directory no harness scans, so the skill never loaded. Installing to `~/.agents/skills/` — which VS Code agent mode does scan — makes it discoverable.
 
 ## Key Code Locations
@@ -118,14 +124,16 @@ This fixes issue #105: earlier builds copied the skill next to each agent's conf
 
 ## User Flow
 
-1. Extension activates
+1. Extension activates and refreshes the bundled skill in the extension host's home
 2. Check if popup was previously shown
 3. If not, display multi-select dialog with supported agents
 4. For each selected agent, write/update config file
 5. Show success message with option to open config file
 6. Mark popup as shown after it is accepted or dismissed
 
-The bundled `debug-live` skill is installed into the standard skills directories (`~/.agents/skills/`, plus `~/.copilot/skills/` when present) during step 4, so every skills-compatible harness discovers it from one shared location.
+The bundled `debug-live` skill is refreshed in the standard skills directories
+at step 1 and also during explicit agent setup. Installation does not depend on
+accepting the popup or having an existing MCP registration.
 
 ## Commands
 

src/test/agentConfigurationManager.test.ts

@@ -32,6 +32,37 @@ suite('AgentConfigurationManager JSON configuration', () => {
             await fs.promises.rm(tempDir, { recursive: true, force: true });
         }
     });
+
+});
+
+suite('Activation skill installation without desktop configuration (#174)', () => {
+	for (const scenario of ['no agents', 'missing configuration', 'malformed configuration', 'no DebugMCP entry']) {
+		test(`refreshes the skill on every activation with ${scenario}`, async () => {
+			const directory = await fs.promises.mkdtemp(path.join(os.tmpdir(), 'debugmcp-remote-skill-'));
+			try {
+				const manager = new AgentConfigurationManager({ extensionPath: directory } as vscode.ExtensionContext, 180, 3001);
+				const agents = await manager['getSupportedAgents']();
+				const copilot = agents.find(agent => agent.id === 'copilot');
+				assert.ok(copilot);
+				const configPath = path.join(directory, 'mcp.json');
+				if (scenario === 'malformed configuration') {
+					await fs.promises.writeFile(configPath, '{invalid');
+				} else if (scenario === 'no DebugMCP entry') {
+					await fs.promises.writeFile(configPath, '{"servers":{}}');
+				}
+				manager['getSupportedAgents'] = async () =>
+					scenario === 'no agents' ? [] : [{ ...copilot, configPath }];
+				let installs = 0;
+				manager['installDebugMCPSkill'] = async () => { installs++; return directory; };
+				await manager.migrateExistingConfigurations();
+				await manager.migrateExistingConfigurations();
+				assert.strictEqual(installs, 2);
+				assert.strictEqual(fs.existsSync(configPath), scenario === 'malformed configuration' || scenario === 'no DebugMCP entry');
+			} finally {
+				await fs.promises.rm(directory, { recursive: true, force: true });
+			}
+		});
+	}
 });
 
 suite('AgentConfigurationManager Claude Code configuration', () => {

src/test/debugSkillInstaller.test.ts

@@ -31,6 +31,13 @@ suite('debug-live skill installer', () => {
 		]);
 	});
 
+	test('fresh remote homes still get the cross-agent target without Copilot configuration (#174)', () => {
+		const home = path.join(directory, 'fresh-remote-home');
+		assert.deepStrictEqual(getDebugSkillInstallTargets(home, path.join(home, '.copilot')), [
+			path.join(home, '.agents', 'skills', 'debug-live')
+		]);
+	});
+
 	test('copies the complete skill and removes legacy names', async () => {
 		const source = path.join(directory, 'bundled', 'debug-live');
 		const destination = path.join(directory, 'home', '.agents', 'skills', 'debug-live');
@@ -57,6 +64,13 @@ suite('debug-live skill installer', () => {
 		);
 		assert.strictEqual(fs.existsSync(path.join(skillsDirectory, 'debug')), false);
 		assert.strictEqual(fs.existsSync(path.join(skillsDirectory, 'really-debug')), false);
+
+		await fs.promises.writeFile(path.join(source, 'SKILL.md'), '# Updated debug live\n', 'utf8');
+		await installDebugSkill(source, destination);
+		assert.strictEqual(
+			await fs.promises.readFile(path.join(destination, 'SKILL.md'), 'utf8'),
+			'# Updated debug live\n'
+		);
 	});
 
 	test('rejects a package without the skill entry point', async () => {

src/utils/agentConfigurationManager.ts

@@ -14,6 +14,7 @@ import {
     installDebugSkill
 } from './debugSkillInstaller';
 import { selectCopilotDebugMcpHost } from '../cli/copilotMcpConfig';
+import { logger } from './logger';
 export { AgentInfo, JsonAgentInfo, TomlAgentInfo } from './agentCatalog';
 
 export interface MCPServerConfig {
@@ -188,20 +189,20 @@ export class AgentConfigurationManager {
         const bundledSkillPath = this.getBundledSkillPath();
 
         if (!fs.existsSync(bundledSkillPath)) {
-            console.warn(`Bundled debugmcp skill not found at ${bundledSkillPath}; skipping skill install`);
+            logger.warn(`Bundled debugmcp skill not found at ${bundledSkillPath}; skipping skill install`);
             return null;
         }
 
         let primaryDestination: string | null = null;
         for (const destination of getDebugSkillInstallTargets()) {
             try {
                 await installDebugSkill(bundledSkillPath, destination);
-                console.log(`Installed debugmcp skill at ${destination}`);
+                logger.info(`Installed debugmcp skill at ${destination}`);
                 if (!primaryDestination) {
                     primaryDestination = destination;
                 }
             } catch (error) {
-                console.warn(`Failed to install debugmcp skill at ${destination}:`, error);
+                logger.warn(`Failed to install debugmcp skill at ${destination}:`, error);
             }
         }
 
@@ -256,6 +257,8 @@ export class AgentConfigurationManager {
      * This should be called on extension activation to ensure backward compatibility
      */
     public async migrateExistingConfigurations(): Promise<void> {
+        // Remote hosts may have no desktop agent config, but still need the skill.
+        await this.ensureSkillRegistered();
         const agents = await this.getSupportedAgents();
         let migrationCount = 0;
 
@@ -279,12 +282,6 @@ export class AgentConfigurationManager {
                         console.log(`Successfully migrated ${agent.displayName} configuration`);
                     }
 
-                    // Back-compat: existing Codex users had only the MCP server registered.
-                    // If DebugMCP is configured, also ensure the bundled skill is installed.
-                    if (this.hasCodexDebugMCPSection(configContent)) {
-                        await this.ensureSkillRegistered();
-                    }
-
                     continue;
                 }
 
@@ -332,9 +329,6 @@ export class AgentConfigurationManager {
                     console.log(`Successfully migrated ${agent.displayName} configuration`);
                 }
 
-                // Back-compat: existing users had only the MCP server registered.
-                // If DebugMCP is configured, also ensure the bundled skill is installed.
-                await this.ensureSkillRegistered();
             } catch (error) {
                 console.error(`Error migrating config for ${agent.name}:`, error);
                 // Continue with other agents even if one fails
@@ -358,15 +352,10 @@ export class AgentConfigurationManager {
         try {
             await this.installDebugMCPSkill();
         } catch (error) {
-            console.warn('Failed to ensure skill installation:', error);
+            logger.warn('Failed to ensure skill installation:', error);
         }
     }
 
-    private hasCodexDebugMCPSection(configContent: string): boolean {
-        const lines = configContent.replace(/\r\n/g, '\n').split('\n');
-        return lines.some(line => isCodexDebugMCPSectionHeader(line));
-    }
-
     private shouldMigrateCodexConfig(configContent: string): boolean {
         const normalizedConfigContent = configContent.replace(/\r\n/g, '\n');
         const lines = normalizedConfigContent.split('\n');